Pradhan seeks Rajnath help to punish shelter home culprits

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Saturday sought the Home Ministry's intervention in punishing the people behind the sexual exploitation of minor girls at a shelter home in Odisha's Dhenkanal district.

An NGO-run shelter home was sealed on Sunday in Dhenkanal district and two people, including its managing director, were arrested following allegations that the minor inmates there were sexually abused.

"I sincerely urge you to take exemplary action against the perpetrators of this henious crime in order to stop the illegal functioning of the shelter home," Pradhan wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Pradhan mentioned in the letter that he was in receipt of a petition from Pravati Parida, the state president of BJP's Mahila Morcha, where a request has been made for taking stern action against persons involved in the sexual exploitation of girls at Dream Centre Shelter Home.

"In the letter, it is stated that Good News India, an NGO, is running an illegal shelter home in village Belitikiri, district Dhenkanal. Last week, media news surfaced about the sexual abuse of girls at Dream Centre shelter home," Pradhan said.

Quoting Parida's letter, the Pradhan further said that the shelter home is also involved in religious conversions and human trafficking.

"It is also pertinent to mention that flow of foreign funds to Good News India is very high and is running 26 shelter homes in Odisha out of which 15 are illegal. The state government is a mute spectator to the blatant violation of the Juvenile Justice Act," Pradhan said.

Earlier, the police had arrested the chief of Dream Centre Shelter Home, Fayaz Rahman.

The NGO received Rs 14-15 crore as foreign donation and the amount was transferred directly through a private bank from USA to West Bengal and then to Bhubaneswar, police had said.